First, a special thank you to April Moran for allowing me to be an ARC reader. I'm a big fan of her historical romance books and I highly recommend them.
Make no mistake, this book has very dark themes which may be uncomfortable for some readers. I did a little squirming myself, but I was totally engrossed in the story and read it two times! This review will contain SPOILERS.
Kingston Winter is not your typical hero. In fact, he's dark, violent, and rather sadistic. He's also an admitted murderer and kidnapper (of the heroine, Ava Blue). He is a wealthy businessman and underworld character at the same time. He has kidnapped Ava because her brother Carson owes him 2.6 million dollars, and he uses her to erase the debt. If Carson refuses to pay back the money, Kingston threatens to auction Ava's virginity to other men, or keep her for himself.
Ava, who is 24, is innocent of any wrongdoing, and she is used rather ruthlessly as a pawn by Kingston. He keeps her as a prisoner in his mansion fortress, taking away her freedom and all of her choices. Through her inner dialogue, you can't help but feel the fear, helplessness, and humiliation she experiences. There is a constant battle of wills between the two of them. King wants her completee obedience and threatens her with serious repercussions if she tries to run away or disobeys him. Believe me, he follows through with these threats, and I wanted to do him serious bodily harm for his initial treatment of her. However, Ava is determined to escape and be in charge of her life again. She doesn't hesitate to tell King how depraved and twisted he is, and she fights back, leaving him with a few bruises and bite marks!
Ava hasn't had an easy life since the death of her parents when she was a sophomore in college. Her scumbag brother (who is not actually in this book) has been absolutely horrible to her. She had cut ties with him and was starting a new life in Savannah at the time of her kidnapping. Through his own contacts, Kingston learns that Carson has his own plans to sell poor Ava to the highest bidder.
Kingston, you will discover, had a horrific upbringing by his abusive father. This gives an insight as to why he thinks and acts the way he doess, but it still doesn't excuse his behavior. He is obsessively attracted to Ava and has been for years. Despite threats to sell her virginity to other men (which is his way of controlling her), King's possessive behavior speaks just the opposite. He doesn't trust most of the men who work for him, including his vicious half-brother, to even be near Ava. As the story progresses, King denies that he is starting to care for Ava, yet he will do anything to protect her. He's at war with his own conscience, but doesn't know how to save her from himself. He is a man used to having his own way in EVERYTHING.
Despite yearning for freedom, Ava is torn because of her own deep attraction to Kingston. She's ashamed of her feelings and thinks this is a weakness on her part, but it's not. Ava has a great capacity to love which she hasn't been able to share with anyone since her parents' death. She's a survivor, and that inner strength has gotten her through past tragedies. It's what she's using now to live through her present situation and will use to fight for the future she deserves.
I want more of Kingston and Ava, and seriously can't wait to read "A Heart So Savage." I don't know how Ms. Moran is going to redeem Kingston, but I have absolute faith in her writing skills. I have a feeling it's going to be Ava who comes out ahead in order to save King from his own demons.
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Little Lamb
This is April Moran's first foray into Mafia romance and she has a winning entry into the field with a King So Savage.Kingston Winter is a man fighting to stay upon the throne in his dark world. He can't show weakness of any kind, or he invites threats to his precarious kingdom, from within and without.Ava Bella Blue is the half sister of a man who owes a very large sum of money to King. He refuses to pay what's owed, so King takes Ava to hold as collateral, threatening to sell her to settle the debt.Eva and King have shared history in their past, both enamored of the other. While Ava is smitten, King seems to goes back and forth like a flag in the wind about whether to keep her for himself, kill her to send a message to the jackals on his heels, or sell her to recoup his loss. But he did make a declaration in the prologue that Ava Bella Blue was his, so he's either undecided, or he's playing an inside game. And with the chemistry these two have, and King's doctorate in dirty talk, he'd be crazy to give her up.It ends in a mild cliffhanger. Revelations promise to make the next book a must read.April Moran writes lovely prose. One of the hallmarks of an April Moran book are her chapter headings. Usually lines from a characters journal, or a poem that adds insight into the characters. A King So Savage is no different.I found this to be mildly dark with a sizzle factor of 2 to 2.5, and mind the trigger warnings. There's also a great curated playlist linked in the opening pages for your reading and listening pleasure.This is a solid win for Miss Moran's first book in the dark Mafia genre.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2023
This is April Moran's first foray into Mafia romance and she has a winning entry into the field with a King So Savage.
Kingston Winter is a man fighting to stay upon the throne in his dark world. He can't show weakness of any kind, or he invites threats to his precarious kingdom, from within and without.
Ava Bella Blue is the half sister of a man who owes a very large sum of money to King. He refuses to pay what's owed, so King takes Ava to hold as collateral, threatening to sell her to settle the debt.
Eva and King have shared history in their past, both enamored of the other. While Ava is smitten, King seems to goes back and forth like a flag in the wind about whether to keep her for himself, kill her to send a message to the jackals on his heels, or sell her to recoup his loss. But he did make a declaration in the prologue that Ava Bella Blue was his, so he's either undecided, or he's playing an inside game. And with the chemistry these two have, and King's doctorate in dirty talk, he'd be crazy to give her up.
It ends in a mild cliffhanger. Revelations promise to make the next book a must read.
April Moran writes lovely prose. One of the hallmarks of an April Moran book are her chapter headings. Usually lines from a characters journal, or a poem that adds insight into the characters. A King So Savage is no different.
I found this to be mildly dark with a sizzle factor of 2 to 2.5, and mind the trigger warnings. There's also a great curated playlist linked in the opening pages for your reading and listening pleasure.
This is a solid win for Miss Moran's first book in the dark Mafia genre.
Kingston Winter is a man fighting to stay upon the throne in his dark world. He can't show weakness of any kind, or he invites threats to his precarious kingdom, from within and without.
Ava Bella Blue is the half sister of a man who owes a very large sum of money to King. He refuses to pay what's owed, so King takes Ava to hold as collateral, threatening to sell her to settle the debt.
Eva and King have shared history in their past, both enamored of the other. While Ava is smitten, King seems to goes back and forth like a flag in the wind about whether to keep her for himself, kill her to send a message to the jackals on his heels, or sell her to recoup his loss. But he did make a declaration in the prologue that Ava Bella Blue was his, so he's either undecided, or he's playing an inside game. And with the chemistry these two have, and King's doctorate in dirty talk, he'd be crazy to give her up.
It ends in a mild cliffhanger. Revelations promise to make the next book a must read.
April Moran writes lovely prose. One of the hallmarks of an April Moran book are her chapter headings. Usually lines from a characters journal, or a poem that adds insight into the characters. A King So Savage is no different.
I found this to be mildly dark with a sizzle factor of 2 to 2.5, and mind the trigger warnings. There's also a great curated playlist linked in the opening pages for your reading and listening pleasure.
This is a solid win for Miss Moran's first book in the dark Mafia genre.
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